Marinated meat in the freezer

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Joined
Dec 2, 2019
Messages
99
Location
Michigan
So, I went to make fried boneless chix thighs. Marinated over night in buttermilk and Frank's Red Hot. Well the next day came and something came up and I couldn't fry off the chix so I threw it in the freezer.

The question, has the marinating process stopped? What's this gonna be like when I thaw it out and cook it?
 
It will marinate throughout the thawing process unless you take the chicken out of the bag.

If u leave it in, it might be mushy from the acid I the buttermilk.
 
Remember, acids cause protiens to contract. Acidic marinades only flavor the very outside of the meat placed in them. It's been well established that when marinating, 20 minutes is as good as 20 hours.

Freezing the ckix won't dramatcally change the finished recipe. Ah, but wait, milk and buttermilk both have enzymes that tenderise meat. So, a long soak in a dairy-based liquid will make the chicken more tender, and help coatings, such as seasoned flor, cornmeal, or breadcrumbs stick to the meat pieces.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
Last edited:
Remember, acids cause protiens to contract. Acidic marinades only flavor the very outside of the meat placed in them. It's been well established that when marinating, 20 minutes is as good as 20 hours.

Freezing the ckix won't dramatcally change the finished recipe. Ah, but wait, milk and buttermilk both have enzymes that tenderise meat. So, a long soak in a dairy-based liquid will make the chicken more tender, and help coatings, such as seasoned flor, cornmeal, or breadcrumbs stick to the meat pieces.
Pear and pineapple juices also contain those enzymes. A long soak in a marinade that contains any of those liquids could cause the meat to be mushy rather than tender. I'd thaw and cook it as soon as possible.
 
Pear and pineapple juices also contain those enzymes. A long soak in a marinade that contains any of those liquids could cause the meat to be mushy rather than tender. I'd thaw and cook it as soon as possible.

Pineapple contains bromelaid as the tenderizing agent. Bromelaid is denatured when cooked. This is why you can use canned pineapple in gelatin deserts. If you use fresh pineapple, or pineapple juice, the bromelaid will keep the gelatin fro setting. The same is true of kiwi, and papaya. I never heard of using pear as a tenderizer. That's a new one to me. Thanks for the info.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
Pear and pineapple juices also contain those enzymes. A long soak in a marinade that contains any of those liquids could cause the meat to be mushy rather than tender. I'd thaw and cook it as soon as possible.

Agreed....years ago I saw recipes that called for acidic marinades, including buttermilk and thought the longer, the better. Chicken turned mushy so I haven't done it since then. :ohmy::mellow:
 
Pineapple, will cause a good thick steak to turn mushy in about an hour.
I do use it but only marinate for about 20 minutes, in a sealed bowl in the fridge.
Use the whole pineapple except the very top and bottom. Use skin, seeds, meaty part and chunk it up, turn it thru the blender or food processor until it becomes a liquidy mush and pour it over the meat. Flip the meat after 10 minutes. Let the meat sit in fridge, then quickly rinse off the pineapple before cooking the meat.

If left too long, you may as well throw out the meat.
 
Back
Top Bottom